It Seems the Demon King Has Returned to a World Where Gender Roles Are Reversed - Chapter 46

 Chapter 46 :

In the reception room, Karen, Annerose, ten knights who entered to escort her, and Ragna were present.

Karen, Annerose, and Ragna were seated on the sofa, while the rest of the group stood near the walls.

It wasn’t a matter of insufficient seating. The servants had brought additional chairs, but the knights declined them, insisting on standing. They stood like statues, their gazes fixed forward.

Ragna, seated directly across from Annerose and under her intense scrutiny, broke out in a cold sweat, feeling an inexplicable pressure. Meanwhile, the head servant placed teacups in front of the three seated individuals.

Karen offered tea to Annerose, who smiled and tilted her cup. The other two followed suit, sipping their tea, and an awkward conversation began.

“Thank you for warmly welcoming us despite our sudden visit.”

“No, it is an honor that Your Excellency, the Minister of State, has come to visit.”

“Hehe, is that so? To be honest, I came today, as I mentioned through a messenger, to have a conversation with Young Lord Ragna.”

“With Ragna of our house…?”

“Yes, that’s right. Lord Ragna?”

“Yes, Lady Annerose.”

“…I wonder why.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, there seems to be no issue with your appearance, and your manners are satisfactory, so why do your marriage prospects keep failing? That’s what I’m curious about.”

Annerose let out a light sigh as she spoke. At her words, Karen and Ragna’s expressions stiffened slightly.

“…Well, I’m not sure myself. But is that the reason for your visit today?”

Karen’s response prompted a nod from Annerose.

“Yes, exactly. No matter the difference in status, with the Steiner family as your patron, Lord Ragna is a member of a distinguished house. Yet, the fact that four marriage prospects have already failed seems a bit odd, don’t you think?”

“…”

(So that’s why…)

Ragna clamped his mouth shut to suppress a groan that nearly escaped. He hadn’t anticipated that the Minister of State would personally intervene for such a reason.

“Hmm… I wonder why… I came to see if there might be some issue with Lord Ragna, but from what I see, there doesn’t seem to be anything wrong…”

“…Well, I don’t know the reason either…”

“The problem is precisely that we don’t know the reason. That’s the biggest issue.”

“…What do you mean?”

Karen cautiously asked, and Annerose responded with a smile.

“Typically, a failed marriage prospect is due to a fault on one side. And in most cases, it’s the man who has the issue, especially since male knights are so rare.”

“…”

“But in this case, there have been no complaints about Lord Ragna. Or rather… the stories I’ve heard suggest that the ladies simply changed their minds and canceled the arrangements after accepting them. Doesn’t that seem a bit strange?”

Annerose asked with a gentle smile.

Karen’s expression hardened. Ragna, though not as visibly affected, also grew tense and inwardly clicked his tongue.

(What a blunder…) Not quite a mistake, but trying to be too perfect had backfired. By cleaning up too thoroughly, he had inadvertently drawn attention to that very cleanliness. It was like replacing a broken floor tile so perfectly that the new tile stood out. Most people might find it slightly odd and tilt their heads in curiosity, but not Annerose.

“…So, you came to meet me in person because of this?”

“Yes, exactly. And I thought to myself, there’s no reason for Lord Ragna to fail at these prospects.”

Annerose tilted her teacup again as an awkward silence fell. Ragna’s back was soaked with sweat.

“If that’s the case, then why? Why do Lord Ragna’s marriage prospects keep failing? Isn’t there some reason behind it? Don’t you think so?”

Her smile remained, but the glint in her golden eyes, shining through her slightly drooping eyelids, was razor-sharp.

It felt as though her gaze was saying, (I already know everything.)

“…Well.”

Ragna tilted his teacup and desperately racked his brain.

He had to find a way out of this situation. Somehow, someway!

_____ 

It was a miscalculation, and Ragna had no excuse. He was inwardly berating himself for his careless judgment. But that didn’t change the situation. The key was figuring out how to navigate this predicament.

Right now, Ragna was like a rat trapped in a cage a cage of his own making.

To avoid causing trouble for the Steiner family, or rather, to prevent Karen from interfering with his actions, Ragna had manipulated the emotions of his marriage prospects to create dissatisfaction, ensuring no direct complaints could be traced back to him. It was a method that, while hard to believe, worked.

As a result, there were no complaints against the Steiner family.

But this left Ragna without a valid excuse.

What could he use as an excuse? His appearance? His black hair and red eyes?

“…Perhaps it’s because of these eyes? Red eyes might cause discomfort for some.”

“Hmm, I don’t think so. There are many famous individuals with red eyes. The great knight Juliana, for instance, was known for her red eyes.”

(Juliana? Who’s that?)

Likely someone who rose to prominence during the 500 years Ragna spent trapped in the cycle of reincarnation. What next, then? His personality?

“…Maybe it’s my personality. Or perhaps my manners. The people I’ve spoken with were all from high noble families with strict etiquette. I might have offended them unintentionally.”

Ragna glanced at Annerose, testing the waters. But she chuckled and responded,

“That’s an odd thing to say. Everyone knows you’re not from a noble family, Lord Ragna. If they were to nitpick your etiquette, that would be strange, wouldn’t it? And I don’t think your demeanor is problematic.”

Her polite rebuttal left Ragna speechless.

(This won’t work. I can’t convince her with this.)

It only looked like he was making excuses, worsening the situation.

But he couldn’t stay silent forever. Ragna groaned, his lips trembling as he struggled to respond. Then, Annerose pressed further.

“Moreover, I think your etiquette is quite refined.”

“…What do you mean?”

“Hehe, I heard that you were found by Lady Karen in a labor camp, suffering from amnesia, and she recognized your talent.”

“…Yes, that’s true.”

“Yet, you seem to understand situations well and know what needs to be done based on context. I was particularly impressed by the story I heard recently about an incident at the military academy.”

Annerose smiled, but both Ragna and Karen could only groan. Karen was flustered, while Ragna’s expression hardened for a different reason.

“That incident was a mistake, mentioning Her Majesty Christine’s name carelessly…”

“Hehe, no, Lady Karen, I’m not reprimanding you. In fact, I was quite impressed by what happened. Lord Ragna’s words were correct. Entrusting Seria Brandzburg to you was indeed Her Majesty Christine’s intent. Ignoring that would be tantamount to disregarding Her Majesty’s orders. Had this reached Her Majesty’s ears afterward, it could have caused a great uproar. I was genuinely impressed by Lord Ragna’s quick thinking in handling the situation. However—”

Annerose’s golden eyes turned toward Ragna, still smiling but with a predatory glint, like a beast eyeing its prey.

“…it made me wonder. What kind of person could make such astute judgments? And that’s why I felt I had to meet you in person.”

“…”

(self-inflicted.)

The phrase digging one’s own grave flashed through Ragna’s mind. He hadn’t expected that day’s events to have such repercussions. He let out a soft groan.

“And now, meeting you, I find it even stranger. Why would such a brilliant person be rejected by those women? Your appearance is far from lacking, and there’s no issue with your physical condition. Even after suffering such an unfortunate accident, your refinement is impressive. So why, Lord Ragna?”

Her smiling face stared at him, as if demanding he confess the truth.

“…”

Ragna remained silent. An awkward silence filled the room. Beads of sweat dripped from his forehead. He was at a loss, his mind racing with thoughts of escape.

Magic… too risky. The girl before him was a priestess, likely capable of holy magic, far surpassing his own abilities.

Physical strength… impossible. Even if he could handle Karen, he couldn’t overpower the ten knights. And this was the mansion’s reception room—a narrow, elongated space with only one entrance, guarded by the knights. Escape was impossible.

He was truly cornered, like a rat in a trap.

As he agonized, time kept ticking. He couldn’t stay silent forever. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, a lifeline appeared.

“…Perhaps it’s because of the Steiner family’s influence?”

“…?”

Karen’s voice came from beside him.

Annerose’s gaze shifted from Ragna to Karen, and Ragna followed suit. As their eyes landed on her, Karen cleared her throat and explained.

“…When a low-born male knight is discovered, it’s customary to seek a spouse through arranged meetings. But usually, the families acting as patrons are lower-ranking nobles, meant to balance appearances. However, with our Steiner family involved, it might have intimidated the other party.”

“Hmm, you mean they feared the influence of your maternal lineage?”

“Yes, exactly.”

At Annerose’s words, Ragna’s darkened eyes lit up.

(Could that be a valid explanation?)

Unfamiliar with the workings of this world, Ragna hadn’t considered such an excuse. He glanced at Karen, who met his gaze, and he gave a subtle nod.

(one debt owed.)

It was perfect timing for a rescue.

“…Hmm, if that’s the case, what should we do? Should we change Lord Ragna’s family affiliation now?”

“That might be problematic. Ragna has already declared himself part of the Steiner family at the military academy and has acted as our representative. Changing his affiliation now would likely spark rumors and controversy.”

“…”

Karen’s calm response was the best possible answer in the situation. Ragna nodded in agreement, watching Annerose to see how she’d react.

“…”

Annerose tilted her teacup to her lips, still smiling, and took a sip.

“Oh, by the way.”

“…?”

“I nearly forgot. The issue with Seria Brandzburg was about a method to heal her, wasn’t it?”

“…Yes, that’s correct.”

“Could you share details about that healing method? If possible, could it be used to help Her Majesty Minerva, who is currently unwell?”

A gulp echoed through the room as Karen swallowed hard.

“W-Well… I…”

Caught off guard by the sudden topic, Karen stammered, her eyes wavering. Her gaze slowly shifted toward Ragna.

“…”

(This won’t do.) Ragna sighed softly. He couldn’t leave this to Karen. He had to step in.

“I’m sorry, Lady Annerose, but I don’t think this healing magic would be helpful for Lady Minerva.”

“…Oh? Why not, Lord Ragna?”

“Well, this… magic, if you can call it that, is a traditional folk spell that only heals physical wounds. It’s effective, but only for external injuries. It pales in comparison to the healing magic of professional healers or priests.”

“…But I heard that Seria, who was gravely injured, was fully healed…”

“That’s because of her exceptional natural recovery potential. It’s simple math: multiplying 2 by 10 yields 20, but multiplying 20 by 10 yields 200.”

“Hmm… is that so? Could you at least share the method?”

Ragna nodded. The demon tribe’s healing technique wasn’t particularly complex. With his knowledge, recreating it as a magic circle wouldn’t be difficult. But—

“It’s not hard to explain, assuming some understanding of magic circles. However, this spell forcibly converts stamina and energy into recovery. If used on someone already healed, it would only deplete their stamina.”

The demon tribe’s healing magic forcibly converted latent dark mana into recovery power. When used on Seria, it worked, but when used on Karen, it only drained her energy, like a debilitating curse.

“…Is that so? Then it wouldn’t be much help.”

“…”

“But I’m impressed, Lord Ragna. I didn’t expect you to have such detailed knowledge of magic.”

Karen flinched at Annerose’s remark, but Ragna was prepared.

“It’s not that impressive… And I’m the one who learned this spell.”

“Oh? You mean…”

“No misunderstanding, please. It’s just a magic circle, powered by mana stones. And it’s not knowledge I had originally I have amnesia, after all.”

“…Then where did you learn this?”

“At the lumberyard. I met an old man there who used to manage a kingdom’s archives. I got to know him, and he shared this knowledge with me. Thanks to him, I learned I could manipulate mana and use it to control golems.”

“Hmm… is that so? Did Lady Karen know about this?”

Startled at being singled out, Karen stammered.

“W-Well… I…”

Ragna quickly interjected.

“Lady Karen didn’t know. She only knew I could manipulate mana and tested my abilities.”

“…Is that so? Could you tell me the old man’s name?”

“Unfortunately, I don’t know it. He shared the knowledge casually, as payment for some rabbit meat I caught. He probably doesn’t know my name either.”

This was true. Ragna was recalling the old man who had shared various facts with him when they first met. He genuinely didn’t know the man’s name, as no one at the lumberyard called him anything but “old man.”

“…”

“…”

Another brief silence followed. Annerose lowered her gaze slightly.

“…Is that so? Well, then, there’s nothing to be done.”

She seemed to accept it, and Ragna let out a quiet sigh of relief. He’d managed to get through it.

But that was his mistake.

“Well, let’s leave that matter aside.”

“…”

“But even so, we can’t ignore Lord Ragna’s situation. If Lady Karen is correct and the matches continue to fail, then…”

“…”

What was she thinking? Ragna and Karen looked at Annerose with suspicion. Then—

“Well, how about this?”

“What do you mean?”

“If, as Lady Karen says, the Steiner family’s influence is the issue, why not send Lord Ragna to a family where such concerns wouldn’t apply?”

“…?”

Would such a family even accept him? As they tilted their heads, Annerose dropped a bombshell.

“For example, to the current queen and First Princess… Her Majesty Christine Shreid.”

“…”

“…”

Silence filled the room.

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Translated by Reversalnovel.web.id